TRAVEL GUIDE: Three Days in NYC

Arrival + Where We Stayed: Union Square

We left Tuesday night, and arrived at the hotel we were staying at – The W at Union Square. This hotel is in a GREAT location (and I mean really freaking good) and has lots of restaurants and shopping close by. This place is on the pricier side BUT if you have Marriott points like we did it’s a great place to stay. The room was spacious and we had a view of Union Square park! The service was also impeccable, and there was an awesome restaurant and bar downstairs called ‘The Irvington’.

DAY ONE: Chelsea

The first time I went to this little brunch joint was in Venice, CA. I loved it so much I absolutely had to go back. It’s great for healthy eaters (it’s vegetarian) but it does have options for everyone! And all of the food + coffee is delicious. Some of my favorite food from this trip so far!

& here are some snaps of what we ordered. I got a coffee with almond milk and my mom got an almond milk latte. We also got the pancakes and the omelette! Both SO delicious.

The start of The High Line is only a 10 minute (and gorgeous) walk from The Butcher’s Daughter. This is definitely a must see for EVERYONE visiting New York City. Every bridge or pathway we crossed had a new and breathtaking view of the city. We went here earlier in the day (around 9:30) and it was so much less crowded than any other time. I would challenge you to go EVEN earlier to completely avoid crowds.

The Chelsea Market was a quick walk to the High Line! It’s an awesome place to buy unique jewelry and goods, and of course to eat SO much food. They have everything from grilled cheese to Japanese food to donuts! We got tacos at the place pictured below. There isn’t much seating here, so keep that in mind if you at one of the restaurants without its own seating.

After shopping we decided to go out for some Mexican. So many lovely gals recommended this trendy joint so we checked it out! The food was good (super spicy!), but definitely a “trendy” Mexican restaurant, not as much an authentic type of place.

DAY TWO: Soho

Breakfast in Bed

Our second day was my birthday, so we ordered breakfast in bed and called it a day. We got oatmeal and toast and an omelette to share!

We went out on a mission for coffee after our breakfast in bed. On our way to get our hair done at The Drybar (my birthday treat) we stopped at 71 Irving. This is my grandma’s favorite coffee shop from the time she spent during a summer in NYC. It’s delicious and SO cute inside. It has a very classic New York feel and is a place for chatting, getting work done, or getting a coffee to go!

It was my birthday, and I’ve been DYING to try The Drybar. I loved my experience and had so much fun with my mom getting our hair done. My hair was SUPER curly at first but it definitely fell out! It’s on the pricier side so definitely save this one for a special treat.

I had heard about this little bite sized cupcakes through the grapevine and knew I needed them… We passed them on the way back to our hotel and got a dozen so we could try all different flavors! My favorite flavors were probably dark chocolate and cookie dough! I love these because they’re snack-like and super light BUT delicious.

By Chloe is a Vegan restaurant with delicious salads and vegan alternative mac n’ cheese, pasta, meatball subs… You name it. It’s also SO cute inside. Definitely a great healthy lunch spot if you’re looking to do a quick stop. They have locations all over the city!

Shopping in Soho

In Soho I wanted to hit all of the stores I can’t go to at home. Stores like Outdoor Voice, & Other Stories, Reformation… Etc. I also hit the champion store and got a pink set I’m obsessed with (see it in my ‘What I Wore in NYC’ post HERE), and we happened to stumble upon the Nike store (pictured below) which was so decked out! This store was seriously like an experience, and so was my favorite Glossier. You can test out all of the makeup while learning from professionals and talking to other girls. SO much fun and such a cute interactive experience!

My aunt recommended this amazing Italian restaurant, and when I saw that the menu had an Aperol Spritz as well as a Margherita pizza I was sold. I was originally going to go to Malatesta Trattoria, but they don’t take reservations so I got nervous! I booked a reservation at La Follia instead and I am SO happy I did. It was amazing! Such quality Italian food, drinks, and desserts.

DAY THREE: Brooklyn

This was another gem around our hotel in the Union Square area. It was nestled on a side street and seemed like it was closed – until we walked upstairs. There were tons of locals sipping coffee and ordering their favorite farm to table dish. We got the pumpkin pancakes and the omelette. Both were SO amazing and we agreed this was the best brunch we had this trip!

Coffee in Williamsburg

We ventured to Williamsburg as our first stop in Brooklyn. We stopped in a coffee shop called Devocion which had plant lined walls and tons of people chatting and doing work on laptops. The coffee was delicious and the atmosphere was great. There were also lots of cute boutiques nearby!

The Iconic Washington Street in Dumbo

We had to stop at this iconic photo spot. It really is as breathtaking as it is in photos. There are constantly tons of people here trying to snap a shot – but you can work around it by heading there early in the morning or on a not so great weather day! It was raining quite a bit during our little photoshoot at this location but hey – we still got cool shots!

Brooklyn Heights

From Dumbo we walked to Brooklyn Heights. We wanted to see the quintessential Brooklyn brownstones and experience multiple neighborhoods! We waked down two of the prettiest streets that I definitely recommending heading to if you want that Brooklyn experience: Willow Street + Remsen Street.

Brooklyn Heights Promenade

We stumbled upon the Brooklyn Heights Promenade and I’m SO happy we did. I’m obsessed with the view of the skyline and it was a beautiful and unexpected scene.

This little joint was nestled under the Brooklyn Bridge and had a CRAZY long line. But when I tell you it was worth the wait I mean it. Everything was so fresh and the service was amazing. After living in Italy for four months and eating pizza 5 times a week, I feel like I’ve been searching for a US pizza shop with comparable quality. This is definitely authentic Italian pizza! It opens at noon, and I would suggest getting there around then to eat if you don’t want a huge line! We got there at 1 pm and waited for 30 minutes.

Brooklyn Bridge

I feel like this is one of those must do Instagram moments in New York. But the Brooklyn Bridge is NOT overhyped. This was one of my favorite moments of the trip and I LOVED every single second of taking in the beautiful skyline with the bridge as a backdrop. It took us about 45 minutes to walk and we stopped for plenty of photo opportunities! Most people online said plan for 60 minutes to cross, and on a crowded day that may be the case!

This is the notorious ‘igloo bar’ in NYC. I don’t have any photos from this experience, but there is a video on the NYC highlight on my Instagram stories. I have no doubt you’ve seen enough photos of this to last a lifetime though! This place is ALL over Instagram. We did not pay a cover and although drinks are pricey it’s a very cool atmosphere. We got Raspberry Mojitos and they were so delicious!

Hi, I’m Adrienne!

I’m the author and creator behind A Dash of Adrienne, a lifestyle blog documenting my travels and style finds. I’m constantly seeking out new coffee shops and finding new ways to express myself through what I wear. You can read more about me here!